Change the Future

OOTP 11

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit dawned bright but windy. After breakfast Rory headed off with the twins and Lee with their first stop being Zonko's before they had to head to the Hog's Head to hear what Hermione had to say. They turned up a side street at the top of which stood a small inn. A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture upon it of a wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth around it. The sign creaked in the wind as they approached. It was not at all like the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar gave an impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog's Head bar comprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats. The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. The floor seemed at first glance to be earthy, though as they stepped onto it they realised there was stone beneath what seemed to be the accumulated filth of centuries. 

"Why there" Someone said looking at the screen disgusted.

They spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione at one of the tables as others started arriving. First came Neville with Dean and Lavender, who were closely followed by Parvati and Padma Patil with Cho and one of her usually giggling girlfriends, then on her own and looking so dreamy that she might have walked in by accident Luna Lovegood; then Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie Macmillan, Justin FinchFletchley, Hannah Abbott, and a Hufflepuff girl with a long plait down her back whose name Harry did not know; three Ravenclaw boys he was pretty sure were called Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot; Ginny, followed by a tall skinny blond boy with an upturned nose.

"A couple of people?" Harry said hoarsely to Hermione. "A couple of people?"

"Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular," Hermione said happily. "Ron, do you want to pull up some more chairs?" The barman had frozen in the act of wiping out a glass with a rag so filthy it looked as though it had never been washed. Possibly he had never seen his pub so full.

Dumbledore smiled slightly as he saw his brother.

"Hi," Fred said, reaching the bar first and counting his companions quickly. "Could we have . . . twenty-six butterbeers, please?" The barman glared at him for a moment, then, throwing down his rag irritably as though he had been interrupted in something very important, he started passing up dusty butterbeers from under the bar. "Cheers," Fred said, handing them out. "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these except you Rory" The large chattering group took their beers from Fred and rummaged in their robes to find coins.

"Like how Rory was exempt" Ron moans.

"Well we love Rory" George said shrugging his shoulders.

"What have you been telling people?" Harry said in a low voice to Hermione. "What are they expecting?"

"I've told you, they just want to hear what you've got to say," Hermione said soothingly; but Harry continued to look at her so furiously that she added quickly, "You don't have to do anything yet, I'll speak to them first."

"Hi, Harry," Neville said, beaming and taking a seat opposite Harry. Cho's friend, who had curly reddish-blonde hair gave Harry a thoroughly mistrustful look that told Harry plainly that, given her way, she would not be here at all. In twos and threes the new arrivals settled around Harry, Ron, and Hermione, some looking rather excited, others curious, Luna Lovegood gazing dreamily into space. When everybody had pulled up a chair, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Harry as Rory sent him a small smile.

"Er," said Hermione, her voice slightly higher than usual out of nerves. "Well er hi." The group focused its attention on her instead, though eyes continued to dart back regularly to Harry. "Well erm well, you know why you're here. Erm well, Harry here had the idea I mean" Harry had thrown her a sharp look "I had the idea that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us" Hermione's voice became suddenly much stronger and more confident "because nobody could call that Defence Against the Dark Arts"